Baby's First Bank Heist

Description

One of The Observer's best children's books of 2018! Move over, Bonnie and Clyde, because there's a new criminal mastermind in town ... Baby Frank! Baby Frank's parents say that he can't have a pet - 'Pets are for older kids', 'Be happy with your teddy', 'They cost too much to keep' - which leaves Baby Frank with a BIG problem because he REALLY wants a pet. What's a baby to do ... ? Rob a bank, of course! But will money buy Baby Frank the fluffy pet he so desperately wants? This is a major new partnership - Stephen Collins, cartoonist in Guardian Weekend magazine, and Jim Whalley, an exciting debut author. It's Burglar Bill for a whole new generation and is perfect for fans of Chris Haughton, Rob Biddulph and Jon Klassen.

Jim Whalley went to UEA with the intention of writing daft stories but got sidetracked into student journalism and academia. He ended up with PhD in Film Studies and got back to writing stories in his spare time. He eventually quit academia because the stories were more fun, a move he justified by also renovating a house. He now lives in that house in Yorkshire with his wife and two children, Fletch and Charlie. Stephen Collins is an illustrator and cartoonist who lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and two children, Frank and George. His work has appeared in many publications worldwide, and he has a weekly comic in Guardian Weekend magazine. In 2013 Jonathan Cape published his debut graphic novel The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil, which was shortlisted for the Waterstones Book Of The Year award and an Eisner Award. His collection of strips Some Comics was published by Jonathan Cape in October 2014. He is currently working on his second graphic novel, which will be published by Jonathan Cape in 2018.

An absolute delight from start to finish. * The Evening Standard * A delightfully funny tale with expressive, detailed illustrations. * The Irish Independent * [Baby's First Bank Heist] zips along in rhyming verse, telling the tale of a kid so desperate for a pet that he turns to a life of crime. Collins's drawings are so rich in detail that repeated reading pays off. * The Observer, Best Children's Books of 2018 * A bouncy, laugh-out-loud rhyme. * The Observer * As smart and funny as its title suggests ... with a fab ending that will delight a child and retro, sassy artwork, this is a classy picture book. * The Independent * Children will love Frank's logic and naughtiness and it's hard to say which illustrations are more fun: the bank heists or the hidden menagerie ... Steve Collins's witty, expressive illustrations will delight young and old. Great fun! * LoveReading4Kids * A corker of a book ... Pet-related preposterousness to make both children and adults splutter with glee; I'm sure this will quickly establish itself as a story time favourite. * Red Reading Hub * It's a caper par excellence. * Read It Daddy! * Debut author Whalley's jaunty, rhyming laugh-out-loud tall story is suitably illustrated by Weekend Guardian cartoonist Stephen Collins, whose droll scenes will delight both the young and not so young. * Books For Keeps * Enjoy Stephen Collins' lively illustrations and encourage your child to spot and name all the animals in the pictures. A refreshingly different picture book star, Baby Frank could go on to great things. * Parents in Touch * [T]he smart, bouncy rhyme, comic adventures and unexpected ending make Baby's First Bank Heist an absolute treat of a picture book ... you should buy it immediately. I can't wait to see what baby Frank gets up to next! * Armadillo Magazine *